Yarn heater device



1967 D. R. JOHNSON YARN HEATER DEVICE Filed April 6, 1964 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. DALE ROBERT JOHNSON BY 2 AGENT United States Patent 3,296,418 YARN HEATER DEVICE Dale R. Johnson, Pensacola, Fla., assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, M0,, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6,1964, Ser. No. 357,695

2 Claims. (Cl. 219-471) This invention relates to filament and yarn heating apparatus and, more particularly, relates to a rotatable textile heater device adapted to impart heat to a traveling yarn contacting the heater.

Yarn heating devices of the rotating roll type are known in the textile industry, In brief, such conventional yarn heaters comprise essentially a roll providing a yarn engaging surface and a heater associated therewith to heat the roll. Yarn heating devices are usually intended to be incorporated on textile machinery crowded with other components and for this reason small heaters are preferred. In designing an integral, small yarn heater its is a problem to effectively isolate of separate the bearing means from the heat given off by the heater means Consequently, overheating and maintenance problems characterize conventional yarn heaters.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel yarn heater device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotatable roll yarn heater device, simple, small and compact in construction, uncostly in production, and designed to yield long maintenance free periods of operation especially from overheating of bearing components.

In brief, the novel textile yarn heater embodying the invention comprises a housing with a shaft journaled therein, and a roll connected to the shaft spacially skirting or surrounding one end of the housing. Heat is supplied to the roll by heater means insulatably mounted on the housing and positioned in close spaced adjacency to the roll. The journaling or bearing means are remotely separated, protectively covered, and insulatably shielded from the heater means to prevent radiation and conduction of heat thereto. In operation, a traveling yarn is heated when it is brought into engagement with the heated surface of the roll.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the more detailed description which follows and to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the textile yarn heater embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section view taken through 22 of FIG. 1 with thermal control means associated therewith for controlling the temperature of the yarn heater.

Referring to the drawing, the novel textile yarn heater device 1, FIGS. 1 and 2., comprises a casing or housing 2 having a bore 3 extending therethrough. In the illustrated embodiment, bore 3 is stepped to provide a small diameter end and a larger diameter end joined by an annular shoulder. A means such as a clamp 4 for attaching the heater to a framework 5 is suitably secured on the housing 2 and a member 6 such as a sleeve of heat insulating material is fixedly mounted at one end of the housing 2 adjacent to the small diameter bore end thereof. Preferably, member 6 is made of a highly porous sintered stainless steel.

A heater 7, preferably of the electrical type and annular in shape, is mounted on the insulating sleeve 6. An annular ring made of a spring material and having heat absorbing property is, preferably, interposed between the heater 7 and insulating sleeve 6. Heater 7 is connected to a controller device 8 by leads 9, and the controller device 8 is normally connected to an AC source of power and to a sensing means 10 such as a thermocouple embedded in the heater 7 by leads 11.

Patented Jan. 3, 1967 ice A rotatable roll 12, preferably cylindrical and having a yarn engaging peripheral surface or face is positioned in close spaced relation about heater 7 and is connected to a shaft 13 journaled in bore 3 of housing 2. In the illustrated embodiment, roll 12 has a radially inwardly extending flange 14 formed at one side thereof which is secured by conventional screw means to a flange 15 formed at one end of shaft 13 that projects outwardly from housing 2. Preferably, a washer 16 ofheat insulating material is interposed between the flanges 14 and 15 to prevent heat from being conducted to shaft 13. The roll 12 and shaft 13 may be integrally formed, and a flange may be provided on roll 12 opposite flange 14 for retention of a yarn on the roll 12 as shown in the drawing.

Shaft 13, preferably, is stepped so that it has a larger diameter length extending in close spaced relation through the smaller diameter of bore 3 and a smaller diameter length extending through the larger diameter portion thereof providing an annular space therebetween. A shoulder separating the larger and smaller diameter portions on shaft 13 is preferably aligned with the shoulder formed between the different diameter portions of bore 3.

The journaling means comprises a pair of spaced bearings 17 which are mounted on the smaller diameter end of shaft 13 and which are pressed in the wall defining bore 3 of housing 2. Bearings 17 are spaced apart by a spacer sleeve 18 and a spring washer 19 positioned on shaft 13, and are retained on shaft 13 by a nut 20 which is screw threaded on a threaded end portion of shaft 13. Axial movement of shaft 13 is prevented by mounting one of the bearings 17 so that one side abuts against the annular shoulder in the wall of bore 3 and the annular shoulder on shaft 2 and providing a retainer ring 21 within a groove formed in the wall of bore 3 at the other side thereof. Spring washers may be used when needed as between retainer ring 21 and bearing 17.

In operation, the temperature of roll 12 is controlled through the controller device 8. The yarn heater device 1 is positioned in the path of a traveling yarn and the yarn is Wound around or made to contact the roll 12. Heat is imparted to the yarn while the roll 12 is rotated by the moving yarn.

The heater 1 is small, compact, rotationally stable, and is protected against harmful effects of overheating.

It will be understood that variations and modifications are contemplated within the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is not expected to be limited by the illustrated embodiment but that limitations be determined within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A yarn heater device for imparting heat to filaments and yarns comprising;

(a) a tubular casing having an axial bore defined therethrough.

(b) a shaft having a threaded end and an opposite flanged end, said shaft mounted within said axial bore and projecting outwardly therefrom at said flanged end thereof,

(c) bearing means mounted on said shaft adjacent said threaded end thereof for rotatably journaling said shaft within said axial bore,

(d) a threaded member in engagement with said threaded end of said shaft for retaining said bearing means thereon,

(e) means at opposed sides of said bearing means for preventing axial movement of said shaft within said axial bore,

(f) mounting means on said tubular casing for mounting the latter on a frame,

(g) aporous, staninless steel insulating sleeve mounted on and surrounding the end of said tubular casing adjacent said flanged end of said shaft,

(h) an annular ring made of a spring material and having a heat absorbing property mounted on said stainless steel insulating sleeve,

(i) an annular heater mounted on said annular ring,

(j) thermal sensing means in saidannular heater,

(k) control means connected to said annular heater and thermal sensing means for supplying a current to and for controlling the temperature ofsaid heater,

and

(l) a cylindrical roll, providing a yarn engaging surface, concentrically and spacingly surrounding said annular heater and being insulatably connected to said flanged end of said shaft forrotation therewith.

2. A yarn driven heater 'roll comprising in combination;

(a) a casing having a bore defined therethrough,

(b) a shaft extending through said bore andprojecting outwardly therefrom at one flanged end thereof,

(c) bearing means within said casing androtatably journaling said shaft opposite said one flanged end thereof,

((1) means connected to said shaft -for retaining said bearing means thereon, f

(e) an insulating sleeve surrounding said casing adjacent the flanged end of said shaft,

(f) a heat absorbing retainer means mounted on said insulating sleeve,

(g) an annular heater mounted on said heat absorbent retainer means,

(h) thermal sensing means in said annular heater,

(i) control means connected to said annular heater and said thermal sensing means for supplying a current to and for controling the temperature of said heater, and

(j) a cylindrical roll providing a yarn engaging surface concentrically and spacingly surrounding said annular heater and insulatably connected to said flanged end of said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner RICHARD M. wooo, Primary Examiner.

AQBARTIS, Examiner.

L. H. BENDER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A YARN HEATER DEVICE FOR IMPARTING HEAT TO FILAMENTS AND YARNS COMPRISING; (A) A TUBULAR CASING HAVING AN AXIAL BORE DEFINED THERETHROUGH. (B) A SHAFT HAVING A THREADED END AND AN OPPOSITE FLANGED END, SAID SHAFT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID AXIAL BORE AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AT SAID FLANGED END THEREOF, (C) BEARING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT ADJACENT SAID THREADED END THEREOF FOR ROTATABLY JOURNALING SAID SHAFT WITHIN SAID AXIAL BORE, (D) A THREADED MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THREADED END OF SAID SHAFT FOR RETAINING SAID BEARING MEANS THEREON, (E) MEANS AT OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID BEARING MEANS FOR PREVENTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT WITHIN SAID AXIAL BORE, (F) MOUNTING MEANS ON SAID TUBULAR CASING FOR MOUNTING THE LATTER ON A FRAME, 